Look out for the Taste Top Wine Award stickers on these bottles at supermarkets and selected liquor retailers.
Under $20
Kumeu River 2016 Village Chardonnay, Kumeu $18
Lemon, pineapple and peach flavours with good weight and a bone-dry finish. With purity and power, this is my ‘house’ chardonnay.
Montana 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Gisborne $16.99
Rich, flavoursome chardonnay in a ‘big and buttery’ style that should appeal to many. Smooth-textured wine with ripe peach and melon flavours.
HaHa 2016 Chardonnay, Marlborough $17.99
Light, fresh, fruit-focused chardonnay with gentle white peach and grapefruit flavours. Soft-textured wine with subtlety and charm. Offers good value at this price.
Grove Mill 2016 Chardonnay, Marlborough $18
Bright, crisp chardonnay with grapefruit and spicy oak flavours. Light in flavour and with a tangy, drying finish.
$20-$30
Stanley Estates 2016 Reserve Awatere Chardonnay, Marlborough $26.99
Creamy, mouth-filling chardonnay with white peach, toast, bran biscuit and spicy oak flavours. Nicely layered wine with a pleasing texture. Excellent value at this price.
Main Divide 2015 Chardonnay, Waipara $20.99
Rich, fleshy chardonnay with ripe peach, honey, ginger and cashew nut flavours. Quite a concentrated wine that should appeal to those who appreciate big and buttery styles.
Tohu 2016 Chardonnay, Marlborough $21.95
Bright, fresh and moderately concentrated chardonnay with white peach, grapefruit, ginger and nutty yeast lees flavours. Impressive purity and an ethereal texture.
Delta 2016 Hatters Hill Chardonnay, Marlborough $25.99
Fresh, fruit-focused chardonnay with green apple, citrus and chalky/mineral flavours. Stylish wine offering value at this price.
Over $30
Vidal 2014 1888 Lyons Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay $120
Only 736 bottles were made of this flagship chardonnay with intense citrus, mineral/struck flint, nectarine and spicy oak flavours.
Sacred Hill 2016 Rifleman’s Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay $69.99
Impressively pure and powerful chardonnay with salty/mineral, grapefruit/citrus, bran biscuit and cashew nut flavours. Very classy wine.
Neudorf 2016 Moutere Chardonnay, Nelson $74
Rich, weighty chardonnay with intense toast, mineral/oyster shell, white peach, nectarine, gingernut biscuit and spicy French oak flavours.
Clearview 2015 Endeavour Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay $175
Big, rich and creamy chardonnay with masses of peach, grapefruit, brioche, hazelnut, a suggestion of oyster shell and a solid influence of nutty oak.
